1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electronic device and, particularly, to a portable type electronic device.
2. Description of the Related Art
A portable electronic device can be represented by a notebook type personal computer. It is required to provide a notebook type personal computer which is small in size, light in weight and has ever higher functions. The notebook personal computer has slots for inserting PC cards for expanding the functions and has a plurality of connectors for connection to external units.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 2000-89854 discloses an electronic device that can be used as a notebook type personal computer incorporating a modem therein or as a notebook type personal computer incorporating a LAN therein. The notebook type personal computer that incorporates the modem therein includes a circuit for realizing the modem function and a connector for the modem, the connector for the modem being designed to be connected to an external connector for the modem. The notebook type personal computer that incorporates the LAN adapter therein includes a circuit for realizing a LAN function and a connector for the LAN adapter, the connector for the LAN adapter being designed to be connected to an external connector of a LAN. In this prior art, a portion of a circuit corresponding to a portion of the circuit for realizing the modem function and a portion of the circuit for realizing the LAN function which is common to the portion of the circuit for realizing modem function, is mounted to a main printed circuit board, the remaining portion of the circuit for realizing the modem function and the connector for the modem are formed as a modem assembly, and the remaining portion of the circuit for realizing the LAN function and the connector for the LAN are formed as a LAN assembly. Therefore, it is possible to easily produce the notebook type personal computer incorporating the modem or the notebook type personal computer incorporating the LAN, by selectively using the modem assembly and the LAN assembly.
There has further been proposed a notebook type personal computer capable of using both the modem and the LAN. This notebook type personal computer includes a circuit for realizing the modem function, a circuit for realizing the LAN function, a connector for the modem and a connector for the LAN adapter. The connector for the modem and the connector for the LAN adapter are arranged adjacent to each other. In this constitution, the modem and the LAN can be used by connecting an external connector for the modem and an external connector for the LAN adapter to the connector for the modem and to the connector for the LAN adapter, respectively.
However, both the connector for the modem and the connector for the LAN as connection ports for communication are not simultaneously used at all times, but either one of them is selectively used in many cases. In a general household, for example, the connector for the modem only is used, and a person who always carries the notebook type personal computer with him uses the connector for the modem only. Alternatively, the connector for the LAN only is used when the personal computer is stationarily used in an office even though the notebook type personal computer is of the portable nature, or, the connector for the modem only is used even in the office depending upon the scale of the company.
In such cases, an extra connector is attached to the notebook type personal computer as a result.
In recent years, further, there has been placed in the market a notebook type personal computer incorporating a DVD-ROM drive or therein to which the DVD-ROM drive can be connected. An output connector is necessary for outputting the image reproduced by using the DVD-ROM drive that is incorporated in the notebook type personal computer or that is connected to the notebook type personal computer to an image display unit such as a household TV set. This is called an S-terminal, for example.
It is, however, difficult to provide connector mounting portions for both the connector for the LAN adapter and the connector for the modem as well as for the S-terminal in a limited space in the notebook type personal computer, which has been realized in ever smaller sizes year after year.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an electronic device which has a limited number of mounting portions and permits a selective arrangement of a plurality of connectors or other members of a number in excess of the number of the connector mounting portions.
An electronic device according to the present invention comprises a housing having a first mounting portion with an engaging portion and a second mounting portion with an engaging portion; a first connector having an engaging portion engaged with the engaging portion of the first mounting portion and arranged in the first mounting portion; and a second connector having an engaging portion engaged with the engaging portion of the second mounting portion and arranged in the second mounting portion; wherein the second connector is one of a third connector having a first shape and having said engaging portion and a fourth connector having a second shape different from the first shape and having said engaging portion.
In the present invention, inventors have contrived such a structure that a connector (S-terminal) for outputting image data can be added when the notebook type personal computer is provided with, for example, the connector for the modem and the connector for the LAN. The housing has the first mounting portion for arranging the connector for the modem and the second mounting portion for arranging the connector for the LAN. Now, the connector for the LAN is removed from the second mounting portion, and instead, the connector for outputting the image data can be arranged on the second mounting portion.
However, the connector for outputting the image has a shape different from that of the connector for the LAN, and therefore, the connector for outputting the image cannot just be fitted to the second mounting portion which is designed for arranging the connector for the LAN. In the present invention, however, the connector for outputting the image and the connector for the LAN, that have different shapes, have a common engaging portion. Upon fitting the common engaging portion to the corresponding engaging portion of the second mounting portion, therefore, either connector can just be fitted to the second mounting portion. It is thus possible to arrange the connector for the modem, the connector for the LAN and the connector for outputting the image data in a space in which heretofore have only been arranged the connector for the modem and the connector for the LAN. Thus, three connectors can be selectively arranged in the space which is only capable of arranging two connectors.
The connectors used in the present invention are not limited to the connector for the modem, the connector for the LAN and the connector for outputting the image. It is further possible to arrange members of a structure resembling the connectors in the housing of the electronic device.